Rare Magazine :: March 2009 :: Music

Rare Magazine :: March 2009 :: Music

Rare Magazine :: March 2009 :: Mus

﻿Austin Restaurant Week
are you ready for seconds? are you ready for seconds?
Now Taking Reservations.
FOOD
1886 Café 34th Street Café Aquarelle Austin Land & Cattle Co. Blue Star Cafeteria Botticelli’s Chez Zee Cissi’s Wine Bar Cru: A Wine Bar Domain Cru: A Wine Bar Downtown Daily Grill Driskill Grill Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse Domain Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse Downtown Green Pastures Gumbo’s Imperia J. Black’s Jasper’s Jeffrey’s Judges’ Hill Restaurant Louie’s 106 Maiko Manuel’s Downtown Manuel’s Great Hills Paggi House Parkside Perry’s Steakhouse Primizie Osteria Roaring Fork Roy’s Sagra Siena Restaurant Silver & Stone Taste Select Wines The Melting Pot Downtown The Melting Pot Northwest Truluck’s Arboretum Truluck’s Downtown Woodland ZAX
DRINK
J. Black’s Key Bar Molotov Lounge
Annie Ray :: annieray.net Caroline Mowry :: carolinemowry.com Cory Ryan :: coryryan.com Derris Lanier :: lostcreekphotography.com Ed Verosky :: veroskyphoto.com Jennifer Nichols :: jnicholsphoto.com Pixel Peach :: pixelpeach.com Shannon Cunningham :: shannoncunninghamphoto.com Victor Yiu :: rockpark.com
Matt Swinney,
Publisher
Whew! Spring has ofﬁ cially (well, not “ofﬁ cially” but who’s really counting?) arrived! The sense of hope (yes, an overused word) is here, the doldrums of winter are behind us, and now it’s time for some food and music. Yes, Austin Restaurant Week is back this month, so get out there and EAT, EAT, EAT! After it’s all over, work it off by walking back and forth all over Austin for SXSW. Be nice to tourists. In the words of Patty Grifﬁn, “Oh, Heavenly Day!” And that it is — our Music Issue has arrived! Featured artist William (Bill) K. Stidham continues his famous I know it’s Carrie’s job to talk about the editorial content in this issue, but I just have to comment about the Music Makers Series this year. It was Carrie’s idea to use the red umbrella as a reoccurring prop to tie the series together, and I think it’s truly brilliant. Carrie, I don’t say it enough, but your vision is astounding. To all the bands we shot: you never cease to But, who’s the artist with the biggest heart? That’s Bill himself. His unconditional love for Austin musicians and dedication to bringing a musician’s passion and energy to his canvas is truly breathtaking. For that, he has our heart!
Photo by A La Vie Photography
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Carrie Crowe,
Associate Publisher & Editor
Carly Kocurek Cynthia Houchin Darcie Duttweiler JB Hager Kathy Farley KT Haik Linsey Krauss Sarah Morgan Tolly Moseley
Point them in the direction of great LOCAL food, shopping, spa services and everything in-between.
Sacred Heart Series throughout the pages of this issue. Patty graces our cover, and paintings portraying several other Austin musicians introduce the various sections.
WRITERS
Matt Swinney, Publisher Carrie Crowe, Associate Publisher & Editor Justin Esquivel, Senior Art Director Kristen Hurd, Art Director Paul Kimbiris, Account Executive Leah Mize, Account Executive
amaze me with your talent. Keep on keepin’ on.
And, back by popular demand: Our Music Makers Series! This year, 17 local musicians strike a pose for our recurring tribute to Austin’s up-and-coming rock stars. Special thanks to Cory Ryan and Jennifer Nichols for workin’ your photo magic and Tolly Moseley and Darcie Duttweiler for your copy genius.
Photo by A La Vie Photography
STAFF
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Cover Artist: William K. Stidham JB Rants DOWNTOWN Music Makers: Built By Snow DJ Orion Music Makers: The Soldier Thread Tommy Dean Music Makers: Sara Hickman CAMPUS/HYDE PARK Music Makers: The Rocketboys Dart Music International Music Makers: Kacy Crowley MIDTOWN Austin Guitar School Music Makers: Brothers and Sisters Music Makers: The Lions EAST Music Makers: White Denim The Music Gym Music Makers: Sounds Under Radio SOUTH Music Makers: LC Rocks Whitewater Amphitheatre Music Makers: Lady Legacy Musicmakers Music Makers: Ume WEST Music Makers: Hollywood Gossip Music Makers: Eliza Gilkyson Music Makers: Black and White Years NORTH Music Makers: The Gourds Music Makers: Kevin Fowler Rare Gives Back: HAAM Index/Maps
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12 16 18 22 26
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30 34 36
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40 42 46
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50 54 56
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60 64 68 72 74
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78 82 84
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88 92 94 96
William K. Stidham The Sacred Heart of Charlie Sexton 22" x 30," Watercolor
Each issue, Rare Magazine chooses a local Austin artist to feature on our cover and section introduction pages. This month’s feature artist is William K. Stidham. Make sure you check out his art scattered throughout the magazine.
THE DIVINE INSPIRATIONS OF WILLIAM K. STIDHAM
ON THE COVER: William K. Stidham The Sacred Heart of Patty Grifﬁn
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22" x 30," Watercolor
William K. Stidham has the glow of a true believer. But, when I sit down with him at Central Market, he isn’t selling me anything — not Amway, not life insurance, not even God. Stidham is quick to point out that he’s no religious zealot, and that while his Sacred Heart Series relies heavily on imagery drawn from his Catholic upbringing, he feels the symbolism is universal.
“Everything for me is a spiritual equation,” Stidham says. “A lot of this might sound esoteric, but I don’t care.” And, he doesn’t. Over the hour I spend drinking coffee across the table from him, he tells me about his work, but more importantly, about his beliefs, which are (as he suggested) both esoteric and signiﬁcant. Stidham never trained as an artist, although he did make a signiﬁcant foray into writing, dedicating four years of his life to a book that ultimately went unpublished. Feeling a bit dejected about the experience, he quit writing, but eventually turned to watercolor portraits as a creative outlet. A friend convinced him to complete a portrait of Willie Nelson, and Stidham ﬁnally acquiesced, completing a piece in shades of black, red and metallic gold. He’d included a sacred heart as a last-minute decision, and, drawing on a technique he’d been developing, doused the entire work in water. The effect gives the works an almost weathered appearance, causing parts of the image to shift or soften. Since that fateful portrait of Willie, Stidham has completed over 45 sacred heart portraits, ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Elliot Smith. What the subjects have in common? They are people Stidham sees as having done something signiﬁcant with their own passion and energy. For each portrait, he does a substantial amount of research, and, in the case of musicians, spends the entire portrait work session listening to the performer’s music.
Although he’s quick to point out that the musicians he’s chosen to feature in this issue of Rare are just a quick sketch of the rich and varied music scene in Austin, he feels strongly about each of them. “It’s not just about painting musicians,” Stidham says. “It’s about what they mean to people — their passion.” That passion is something clearly reﬂected in Stidham, both as a person and as an artist. He wants his work to challenge people to think about what they’re doing with their own “sacred hearts,” and he believes that his success with the series has been a gift, a stroke of inspiration that may well be divine. “I have to think a lot of these things are more than nice coincidences,” Stidham says. “It’s not some trained style, it’s what’s been given to me. When you are actually conscious of connections as a divine experience, it changes you.” Carly Kocurek Photo by Shannon Cunningham
williamkstidham.com
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I STRUGGLE WITH BEING A CHILD OF THE 1980s, THE WORST DECADE SINCE HUMAN LIFE BEGAN.
Honestly, I would rather be a ﬁsh making my way to land for the ﬁrst time 375 million years ago. At least man was progressing instead of digressing into the bubblegum, new wave, wimp pop that ﬁlled the airwaves during the 1980s. It’s just ﬂat out humiliating to be associated with that decade. I’m a music lover and whenever anyone reﬂects on music from the 1980s, they always reference all the garbage that unfortunately deﬁ ned the era. I’m here to tell you that the 1980s DIDN’T suck, just the popular 1980s that everyone remembers. It’s typically the decade of your teenage years and the music you loved that deﬁ ne your generation. Most are proud of how music represented them. Lets reﬂect on a few decades and why most are quite proud. Teenagers growing up in the 2000s have to feel pretty solid. The last eight years have kicked @ss and there’s a lot of musicians to be proud of — John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Green Day, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, Jay Z, Beck, Jack Johnson. I could go deeper into how the Brits are back but let's just say this, it’s been pretty solid. The 1990s dominated. This decade was completely saved by one band, Nir vana. I’ll never forget when Nevermind came out. It was on my birthday, September 24th, 1991. I bought it that day. This is the band that ofﬁcially killed everything that sucked about the 1980s. God bless you guys. If Kurt Cobain were still alive today, 8
I would make-out with the man and give him the keys to my car and house, just as a small debt of gratitude. Courtney Love would have to wait outside with the dog. The 1970s go without saying. Classic rock dominance. Zeppelin, Floyd, Stones, The Who, Bowie, McCartney, Lennon, P-Funk, Earth Wind and Fire, Kiss, Skynard, Yes, War, ZZ — I could go on and on for hours — Steely, Jethro, James Taylor, Doobie, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Petty, Journey… The 1960s trump everyone. All you have to do is say The Beatles and the game is over. The Beatles trump everything musical over all space and time, forever and ever. Sure, you can pull out “Ebony and Ivory” because of McCartney and try to ruin the argument, but that happened in the 1980s. Again, we sucked in the 1980s. My dad would argue the 1950s were the best by playing the Elvis card and referencing old blues players he listened to on The Wolfman Jack Show broadcasting out of Tijuana. I swear he makes up blues players’ names by combining a “weather condition with a former “President.” He’ll rattle off names like Shady Johnson, Sunny Jefferson, Cloudy Nixon, Lightning Van Buren…you get the idea. It doesn’t matter if he’s making them up — still better than the 1980s. Even in 1810, I’m sure that teenagers were going dognuts in Vienna over Beethoven. They probably got tattoos of metronomes with the words Ludwig kicks Mozart’s @ss in a crazy font they called “Newe English.” Kids would battle Typhoid, Whooping Cough and even Plague just to get out and take in a show. My options in the 1980s were Corey Heart at the Frank Erwin Center or Wang Chung at Southpark Meadows. Unfortunately, I went to both. I’m telling you, you could time travel back two million years ago, go out for an evening and hear “Lucy and the Knucklewalkers” banging rocks together, and even that’s more impressive than A Flock of Seagulls. However, I'm here to tell you that the 1980s didn’t suck. They were only ruined by what the media decided to make popular. It goes without saying that any retrospective of music in the 1980s will feature Milli Vanilli, Boy George, New Edition, Poison, Twisted Sister, Bobby McFerrin, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and that ridiculous “We are the World”
single. That's why it has always been a fantasy/dream of mine to release a compilation called The 1980s Didn’t Suck (10 volumes available for three payments of $39.95). The infomercial would be killer. Just to give you an example, I offer up The 1980s Didn’t Suck Disc 1 and 2:
DISC 1
Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 Track 5 Track 6 Track 7 Track 8 Track 9 Track 10 The Rave Ups “Positively Lost Me” Gary Myrick “She Talks in Stereo” XTC “Dear God” Julian Cope “World Shut Your Mouth” The Stranglers “Always the Sun” Big Audio Dynamite “E=MC2” The Cult “She Sells Sanctuary” Echo and the Bunnymen “Do it Clean” The The “This is the Day” Don Dixon “Praying Mantis”
DISC 2
Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 Track 5 Track 6 Track 7 Track 8 Track 9 Track 10 Husker Du “Everything Falls Apart” The Clash “Straight to Hell” The Bolshoi “Sunday Morning” The Church “Under the Milky Way” Flesh for Lulu “Stupid on the Street” Gene Loves Jezebel “Desire” Public Image Limited “Rise” Violent Femmes “Gone Daddy Gone” The Smithereens “Blood and Roses” The Talking Heads “And She Was”
JB Hager is half of the hit morning-show duo “JB and Sandy” on Mix 94.7. Photo by Annie Ray
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William K. Stidham / The Sacred Heart of Townes Van Zandt / 22" x 30," Watercolor
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Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan
Shoot Location: Sola
GENRE: Rock/Pop/Indie INFLUENCES: The Cars, DEVO, 8-bit Nintendo, Mates of State, Tegan and Sara, The Rentals, The Strokes CURRENT CD: Mega
Available at Waterloo Records and online at CDBaby, iTunes and builtbysnow.com
MEMBERS:
JP Pfertner vocals/guitar/keys Matt Murray guitar/vocals/keys Ben Bauer bass/vocals/keys Brandon Stein drums
Geek chic and keyboard-happy, Built By Snow credit their first big musical break a Battle of the Bands competition in April 2006. “None of the other bands knew who we were,” says Built By Snow’s JP Pfertner. “We even heard them saying that their only real competition was Band A or Band B. We got lucky and drew the straw that allowed us to play last...and we killed it! It was like the scene at the end of “Revenge of the Nerds” when everyone realized that the nerds were the cool ones! When we ﬁnished, the whole crowd was chanting our name, and the other bands seemed shocked to have never heard of us.” Built By Snow won the contest, and used the prize money to record their ﬁrst CD, Noise. Today the band is a Red River ﬁxture, and just released a second album, MEGA. With hand claps aplenty and a sound reminiscent of The Cars, it’s enough to make nerd rock fans dance with glee.
myspace.com/builtbysnow
builtbysnow.com
FAVORITE MUSIC VENUE IN AUSTIN? “I love a lot of the Red River Clubs,” says Pfertner. “Mohawk, Emos, Club DeVille, Stubbs. Oh, and The Parish, Antones. I guess they all have their own charm, and I like them all in different ways. They've all been really nice and helpful with booking.” HOW DO YOU FIT INTO AUSTIN’S MUSIC SCENE?
“We are still one of the slightly unknown bands. It can be difﬁ cult to stand out in Austin with so many great bands playing every night in any of the hundred clubs that have live music,” laughs Pfertner. “I think that people who like catchy rock music just need to hear us and we can win them over.”
YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? “The local
restaurants!” says Pfertner. “Chuys, Enchiladas Y Mas, Top Notch, Phil’s Icehouse, Torchy’s, Romeo’s, and that meat pie place on Guadalupe! Delicious! Also, the laid back atmosphere. I’ve lived in Austin my entire life, and can’t imagine living anywhere else...it’s my home.”
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DJ ORION IS A FRONTRUNNER IN THE 7TH STREET MUSIC SCENE AND FRANKLY, HE’S A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE TITLE, CREDITING EVERYONE FROM TABLE MANNERS, HYPE HEADZE AND LEARNING SECRETS TO NARD, CITY ON FIRE, FBC AND WEIGHT IN HELPING TO SHAPE THE SCENE AND MAKING IT WHAT IT IS TODAY. ORION BELIEVES THAT 7TH STREET HAS ACTUALLY SHAPED HIM.
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Orion is a DJ who describes himself as not being part of a music scene in a literal sense, but as a “sociologist by self-proclamation whose interest with people and music happens to coincide behind turntables and a mic."
Playing music that speaks to him at the time, including everything from Latin, Hip-Hop Gangsta Rap, GrimeStep/ DubStep, Jazz, Metal and Funk, he brings a cacophony of sound from many genres and makes them work — crowds from Creekside Lounge, Black N’ Tan, the Music Gym and several others are certainly responding. He’s seen changes throughout the 7th Street area over the past few years: clubs no longer turning over as quickly and booking agents becoming more interested in a diverse sound instead of one speciﬁc genre. DJ Orion sees the future holding an inﬂux of Latin sounds, theorizing that currently Cumbia and Salsa are like Hip-Hop was back in the day — obscure enough for those to enjoy without criticism and incredibly danceable. When he’s not on the turntables, DJ Orion is involved in what seems like a thousand projects. Raw Records was formed due to Orion’s affinity for people and music. The name came from an old newsletter that he and his cousin Yadira Brown used to produce when he ran a poetry reading at the old World Beat Café (formerly on MLK). He uses Raw Records as an umbrella for all of his projects. Instead of functioning as a traditional music label, Raw Records serves as a public front that composes and records music, books venues and provides Internet promotion and show promotion for Orion and other artists. He runs a blog that provides opinion, insight and fact. “It feels like I’m doing six teen tons. Web work consumes a large portion of my day —blogging, making ﬂyers and websites, socially networking, sending out emails and such,” says Orion. “I like meeting in person with everyone I work with at least twice a month. I write with pen and paper, drink way too much coffee, walk and ride my bike and get debaucherous with friends into the wee hours.” Born in Panama City, Panama to a Colombian father and Puerto Rican mother, DJ Orion spent his formative years growing up in Germany af ter his parents joined the Army. Eventually, the family made their way to Georgetown, and in 1999, DJ Orion moved to Austin — the longest place he’s lived and always an integral component to his motivation. Upcoming projects include Peligrosa, a crew started by DJ Orion that plays every third Friday at Creekside, video and documentary work with BeachOnline and a collaboration project with Prince Klassen and Lydia Reynolds. His rap group CO2 is cutting an album, writing beats, touring and working with a multitude of other artists on those sixteen tons of projects, as well as, keeping 7th Steet alive and full of diverse sounds and loud beats. Kathryn-Terese Haik Photo by Derris Lanier
djorion.com myspace.com/oriongarcia rawworldrecords.com
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Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photographer: Jennifer Nichols
Shoot Location: Field in West Austin
GENRE: Indie Rock INFLUENCES: Death Cab for
Cutie, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Bloc Party
MEMBERS:
Todd Abels guitar/vocals Chance Gilmore bass Patricia Lynn viola/vocals Justin McHugh rhodes/guitars/vocals Drew VanDiver drums
Although the band is still quite young, both in personal and band age, The Soldier Thread’s debut album, Shapes, touches on some poignant and bittersweet themes — namely that of love, albeit the unrequited kind. “I write about the desire to ﬁ nd love,” says guitar player and singer Justin McHugh. “If I said anything else, I’d just be lying. I write about wanting what I don’t have.” While this sounds quite melancholic for a 22-year-old, the band and the album coalesced under McHugh’s obsession with shapes, meaning all the pieces ﬁ t together. These pieces include McHugh’s fellow high school band members, guitarist Todd Abels, drummer Drew Vandiver, singer and viola player Patricia Lynn and new bassist Chance Gilmore, who tips the age scale at 25. “Justin, Drew and I were in such a crappy high school band that I never thought I’d ever see Justin again,” laughs Abels. While none of the band members have given up their not-sobeloved day jobs yet, every member dreams of one day, just playing music. “I don’t have to be this big and crazy rock star, but if I can make a living doing what I love to do, that would be just ideal,” Gilmore says. Even though the band has played the Austin circuit for almost two years, the group says they’re not quite sure where they ﬁt in. “We haven’t solidiﬁed our place in the scene here,” McHugh says. “We don’t want to claim a place yet, but maybe one day.”
CURRENT CD: Shapes
Available at Waterloo Records
myspace.com/thesoldierthread
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “I rarely
listen to music, which is unusual for a musician,” McHugh says. “When I’m home, I don’t have music on, but I’m constantly working on it. Sorry, we’re boring people.”
WHAT CD ARE YOU LISTENING TO NOW? Abels: “Bloc Party’s Intimacy Intimacy.” McHugh: “I’m still listening to M83’s Saturdays = Youth Youth.” Gilmore: “My iPod is always shufﬂing, but I enjoy Mogwai or Sigur Ros.” BEST BAND MEMORY? “We all drove down to the Alamo to
sign our record deal, but Chance wasn’t there, so we’ll have to do something big when he signs his,” McHugh says. 18
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thesingingconcierge.com Four Seasons 98 San Jacinto Blvd. 512-478-4500 fourseasons.com
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TOMMY DEAN IS A CHARACTER. AND A TRUE ARTIST. HE’S BEEN A CONCIERGE AT THE FOUR SEASONS FOR 22 YEARS. AND A MUSICIAN FOR ALMOST FOUR DECADES. HE CALLS HIS PROFESSION “PERFORMANCE ART” AND HIS PASSION. BUT HIS MUSIC? T HAT’S THE SOUL OF TOMMY DEAN, THE SINGING CONCIERGE.
I meet with Tommy at a local coffee shop. I’ve heard him described as “a hoot.” And that would be a significant understatement. He walks in, full of energy, personality and warmth. And he greets me as if we’re old friends. I instantly feel at ease as we begin our chat. This is what makes Tommy Dean such a well-known and well-loved ﬁgure at the Four Seasons. As the hotel’s senior concierge, he readily acknowledges that his choice of career is not for everyone. “After you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you can instantly tell who’s cut out for being a concierge and who isn’t. You have to love public service — love people and understand them,” says Dean. Which, of course, he does. “Being a concierge allows me to express my love. It’s an artistic expression, my public life. But in my studio at home, that’s where I’m concierge to myself. Music is a way of listening to my soul,” he says. Dean’s soul-satisfying music career began in the 1970s, but his love affair with all things jazz began years earlier. The son of classical musicians, he began taking piano lessons at age 7. Within a year, Dean began arranging his own compositions. “I had an interesting way of processing information,” says Dean. “I wasn’t the best at school, but I could hear something and play it.” 23 And despite his training in classical music, Dean was always at tracted to jazz. “I wasn’t your t ypical kid. I wanted an André Previn jazz album for my eighth bir thday,” recalls Dean. “By the time I was 15, I had all but lef t classical behind and decided to go into jazz and pop. I learned to swim upstream to my own lure.” It was this early love of jazz which Dean has returned to time and again. Influenced by composer Henri Mancini and jazz pianist George Shearing, among others, the genre has had an important role in his life. “I’ve played with six different bands. I’ve played all sorts of venues, big and small,” he says. “But I’ve always come back to where I began years ago.” His latest release, The Best of Tommy Dean, doesn’t disappoint. With a late 1950s feel, every track is produced, arranged, engineered and performed by Dean. Pick up your copy at the Four Seasons or Waterloo Records. And as for the name “The Singing Concierge?” Dean has his fellow concierges to thank for that. “I’m very involved in the national organization of concierges. They came up with the name,” Dean laughs. “There’s a whole network of people that know me as that and I love it.”
Kathy Farley Photo by Ed Verosky
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Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photographer: Jennifer Nichols
Location Shoot: Side of La India Bonita
Most people only associate Sara Hickman with her children’s albums, Newborn, Toddler and Big Kid, and it might be easy to categorize the bubbly and motherly singer as a kid’s singer until you delve into her most recent album, Motherlode. The album touches on themes from despair, insomnia, addiction and violence, and even contains a haunting rendition of “Mad World.” Perhaps it’s Hickman’s work with local charities that make her so aware of bigger issues going on in the world. “I’m so inspired by the things that move me,” she says. “I’m involved with current events and local politics, and my music reflects that.” For Hickman’s ﬁ rst children’s album, she donated $50,000 of the proceeds to the Hill Country Youth Ranch, a home for abused and neglected children. Although her latest album may reﬂ ect an understanding for the hardships of the world, Hickman performs many family shows and enjoys including children in her performances. “There’s this amazing connection children have, and I always have to share the mic with them because they are so innately hilarious and honest. It’s so endearing to hear them sing,” she says. Hickman is currently working with a 60-piece orchestra, singing big swing songs. “I’m deﬁnitely moving into a new territory,” she says.
myspace.com/sarahick
GENRE: Pop/Folk/Jazz/Children’s INFLUENCES:
Ella Fitzgerald, David Byrne, Tom Zé, The Partridge Family, Billy Bragg
CURRENT CD: Motherlode
Available online at sarahickman.com
YOUR FAVORITE VENUE? “I have so many treasured moments
from the Cactus Café. The audience is just there to listen to you.”
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “I’m pretty
transparent, but my high score in bowling is 196. Actually, people probably already know that because I talk about bowling a lot.”
WHAT IS YOUR BEST BAND MEMORY? “I always want to use my music for healing. There was a little boy a couple of years ago whose babysitter shoved paper towels down his throat, and he went into a coma. I asked his family if I could sing to him. When I went into his hospital room, his mom was sitting there with her little boy on her lap just like the ‘Pieta.’ I got on my knees and played, and his mom just smiled at me. It made me feel like my music is bringing love where there’s sorrow. He passed away a week later.”
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William K. Stidham / The Sacred Heart of Bob Schneider / 22" x 30," Watercolor
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Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan
Shoot Location: Space 12
rocketboyband.com myspace.com/rocketboys
myspace.com/rocketboys
rocketboyband.com
GENRE:
GE NR E Ambient Indie Rock
MEMBERS:
Josh Campbell bass/vocals Philip Ellis drums Mitchell Holt guitar/ vocals Brandon Kinder vocals guitar/piano Daniel Wheeler guitar/aux Justin Wiseman keys
The Rocketboys, formerly Homer Hiccolm & The Rocketboys, may remind you of Eisley, another ambient indie rock group from an unassuming Texas town. While going to school in Abilene, Mitchell Holt, Brandon Kinder and Daniel Wheeler started playing acoustic sets at college events four years ago, and quickly developed a following. Bassist Josh Campbell and drummer Phillip Ellis joined in next, rounding out the band’s rhythm section, along with keyboard player Justin Wiseman — all while everyone was still in school. “Once we all graduated from college, we were really excited to become a full-time band,” says Holt. To that end, the band effectively packed their instruments, beloveds and belongings, and made the move from Abilene to Austin in late 2008. “Austin ha s s o m u c h to o f f e r c r ea t i v el y, o c c u p a t i o na ll y a n d recreationally,” says Holt. “We could not be happier with our decision to join the Austin community!” The band is now focused on recording their ﬁrst full-length record, coming June 2009. Look for them at this year’s SXSW.
INFLUENCES: Sunny Day
Real Estate, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Absinthe Blind, Sigur Ros
CURRENT CD:
Sing, Bird, Sing EP Available online at iTunes, Rhapsody and Tune Core
FAVORITE BAND MEMORY? “On a whim, I signed us up for a band contest to play at ACL in the summer of 2007 (Dell Lounge’s 'Sound and the Jury Competition'). We didn’t think we could win, but it was free, so we decided it wouldn’t hurt to try,” says Holt. “We ended up winning the contest and getting to play at ACL, which was by far the biggest show we’ve ever played. It was an incredible experience, and we were so honored to be chosen to play.” FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? “The white cheese dip at Kerbey Lane, the music, the creativity oozing from its seams and just the small-town-in-a-big-city feel,” says Holt. FAVORITE PART ABOUT PERFORMING? “One of our favorite
parts of getting to play music full-time is the people we meet,” says Holt. “Come out to a show and hang out. We want to meet our new neighbors!”
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a new pad?
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512realty.com
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Dave Dart and Patricia Albright
Introducing Dar t Music International, an Austin-based nonprofit organization founded in 2007, bringing international musicians to Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico. “Discovering a new band from an exotic country is the next best thing to traveling there,” says founder Dave Dart. A diehard music fan from a young age, (he was that kid cruising the block with the boom box on the handlebars) Dave was also fascinated by other cultures. Tuning in to Mexican, Cuban and Latin American music enhanced his college Spanish classes, and he realized it also enriched his perspective. “Exposure to other cultures teaches us that some of the best people we could ever hope to call friends live on the other side of the planet or grew up speaking a different language,” he says. The idea for a one-stop shop for international musicians ﬁrst struck Dave when a Brazilian band that he signed up to host through SXSW’s International Housing Program couldn’t make the trip after missing their visa application deadline. The next year, Dave hosted a UK band that managed to make it to town, but didn’t get to make the most of their time promoting themselves locally.
Taking a cue from his systems analyst experience at UT, Dave decided to apply his planning and logistical skills for an entirely different end — helping artists do what they do best without having to sweat the small stuff. Thus, Dart Music International was born, providing bands services like sponsorship, work visa aid, booking, promotion and local partner discounts on merchandising, rentals and hotels. Plus, Dart uses any and all means to get the word out locally. “Dart uses social networking quite a bit. We ﬁnd that people who are following us on MySpace, YouTube or Do512 will come out to support our artists and spread the word to their friends, real and virtual,” explains Dave. “Our goal is to minimize the costs as much as possible, so the artists can perform at their very best.” The DMI team is comprised of a small local staff, a board of directors, an advisory board, and is partnered with non-profit organizations throughout the country. As a charitable organization, it relies on donors, including its own board members, each who has personally contributed ﬁnancially to DMI. The bands represented defy categorization, ranging from 127 (a band from Tehran, blending traditional Iranian melodies with jazz) to the Irish band We Should Be Dead (self described “indie rock bubblegum pop”) whose regional tour Dart is planning and includes a stop at SXSW. “Our bands fall into genres like punk, power pop, indie rock and brit-pop. As long as it’s good music, the genre doesn’t matter,” says Dave. To hear something refreshingly different, come out Tuesday, March 17th, for DMI’s “International Night,” a free show spotlighting six bands from around the world. Cynthia Houchin Photo by Derris Lanier Dart Music International 512-296-1156 dartmusicinternational.org
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In a time when most bands introduce themselves to the world via MySpace, it’s refreshing to talk to a girl who cut her performance teeth on Austin’s street corners. Fourteen years later, Crowley’s pensive melodies are still making people stop in their tracks.
myspace.com/kacycrowley
kacycrowley.com
GENRE: Folk/Indie/Pop INFLUENCES: Right now my favorite
artists are Bon Iver, The New Year, Mimicking Birds, Kings of Leon, Midlake
“In 1995, I arrived in Austin with all my stuff in a truck, knowing no one and just looking for a break. Someone mentioned to me that a music festival was going on downtown, so I took my guitar and sat on 6th Street, playing to anyone who would listen. That was SXSW,” say Crowley. “Three years later, I was lucky enough to be onstage at the Austin Music Awards. That was a really important moment for me personally.”
CURRENT CD: Cave
Available at Waterloo Records or online at iTunes, CDBaby and Amazon
YOUR EARLIEST MUSICAL MEMORIES? “My mom is a piano teacher so there was always melody in the background of my house. Also, my father is one of those people that sings everything including things like, ‘honey, how would you like your eggs?’ and ‘no you cannot take my car to a club tonight.’ So it was inevitable that I would end up putting my thoughts to music. I basically grew up roaming around my house in pajamas...singing.” FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? “The people,” says Crowley with a smile. “I know some of the weirdest, smartest, funniest and most talented people ever! Oh and HAAM and SIMS! These organizations have literally gotten me through the last few years by providing me with desperately needed medical and mental health care. They are amazing and unique to Austin, and I love them.” FAVORITE VENUE IN AUSTIN? “I love Momo's. It's a wonderful venue to play and to hear music,” says Crowley. “The staff are almost all in bands that perform there regularly and there's a constant exchange of musical ideas and inspiration. Artists like Band of Heathens, Suzanna Choffel and Dustin Welch have come directly out of that scene in the last two years.”
Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan
Shoot Location: The Courtyard Apartments
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William K. Stidham / The Sacred Heart of Patricia Vonne / 22" x 30," Watercolor
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GUITAR
HERO
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Austin Guitar School 5501 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-442-2880 austinguitarschool.com
After valiant attempts to teach myself guitar back in high school, I ﬁnally gave up after picking my way through a sad rendition of Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me” and writing a dreadfully embarrassing love song for my boyfriend. So, I feel completely inadequate when Ted Hall, owner of Austin Guitar School, tells me about a 5-year-old who will be playing “Iron Man” in their December showcase. “Are you sure you don’t want to play ‘Slow Ride’?” Ted says to his student. To which his student replied, “No, I played that last time.” Darn it — a 5-year-old who not only plays two awesome rock songs, but who has also performed live twice. I am so not as cool as this kid. Austin Guitar School boasts a wide range of classes, from stringed instruments and drums to voice lessons and piano. They also serve an equally wide range of students.“All styles, all ages, all levels,” Hall says. “Our youngest student is ﬁ ve. Our oldest is 67.” The school’s extensive offerings can be attributed, in part, to the fact that they have been around the block a few times. The Austin Opera House, where Hall says he once paid his rent to Willie Nelson, was the school’s ﬁrst home when Hall started the school in 1987. They have been expanding ever since, in large part due to the thriving, close-knit Austin music scene.
And it is easy to tell there is something really special about Hall, too. Music is his life, and it is clear that teaching music gives him great joy. When he mentions an instrument I’m not familiar with, the Dobro, he runs into a room in the back and brings one out for me, pleased with a chance to share his knowledge. He talks about the history of music and different genres, and is clearly excited about a new addition to the school — the music library, where students of all levels can read music magazines and watch ﬁlms to aid in their learning. In that same vein is the new Austin Guitar Gym, where aspiring artists (who may not have the money for lessons) can sign up for $20 a month to be around other musicians, ask questions, use the library and jam with other students. After talking with him, his simple love for all things musical has reminded me of why I picked up that guitar so many years ago. “People should not take learning to play an instrument too seriously,” Hall says. “Not everyone’s going to become a virtuoso. But, it’s a great feeling to be able to play a song and put a smile on somebody’s face, I don’t know a greater feeling than that. Music itself has such healing qualities.” Sarah Morgan Photo by Annie Ray
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GENRE: Indie Country/
Folk Rock
MEMBERS
Lily Courtney vocals/ autoharp/tambourine Will Courtney vocals/guitar Ray Jackson pedal steel Greg McArthur drum David Morgan bass Daniel Wilcox lead guitar
Calling to mind another family-monickered band, The Mamas & The Papas, Austin’s Brothers and Sisters fall somewhere between a sun-dappled meadow and a crackling campﬁ re. After a successful debut album, a song featured on “The OC,” SXSW appearances and two cross-country tour stints, the eight-piece band has attracted a variety of fans all over the country. It’s no surprise, either, given their affection for 1960s pop and folk ballads — a nice change of pace from today’s jaded rockers. “Their music entirely lacks the calculated cool of contemporary indie rock and seems totally oblivious to the cy nical machinations of the music business,” Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff has said of Brothers and Sisters. “In an indie world currently hell-bent on exhuming the still-warm corpse of post-punk, Brothers and Sisters reach back to a sunnier age, when idioms as disparate as polished West Coast pop, rock and roll choogle, AM radio balladry and classic country could still rub up against each other at the same hazy Topanga canyon party.” Brothers and Sisters’ “family band” is led by real-life brother and sister Will and Lily Cour tney, Houston natives who eventually made their way to Austin. After moving west to explore the L.A. music scene, Will returned to Texas to start a band with his sister, along with six more band members who managed to stumble into the group. How? Let’s just say it’s nice to know that even the most hippie of folk bands still rely on that modern accoutrement of the Information Age, Craigslist. “After posting Craigslist ads and asking friends, we found each other sometime in the summer of 2005,” says Will. “We played our ﬁrst show in November of that year to a pretty big crowd, and it kinda went from there.”
INFLUENCES: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, The Band, The Byrds, Moby Grape CURRENT CD: Fortunately
Available at independent music stores, and online at CDBaby, iTunes and brothersandsisters.com
myspace.com/brothersandsistersmusic brothersandsisters.com
Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan Shoot Location: Liz Carpenter Fountain
HOW DO YOU FIT INTO THE AUSTIN MUSIC SCENE?
“Somewhere between the gutter punks and CEOs,” says Will Courtney.
FUN FACT: Will and Lily Courtney’s mother, Cynthia Clawson, is a Grammy-winning independent gospel artist once dubbed “The Christian Barbara Streisand” both for her voice and for her support of the Christian gay community.
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Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan
Shoot Location: Rooftop of Trophy’s
GENRE: Psychedelic
Rock/Hard Rock
MEMBERS:
Matt Drenik lead singer/guitarist Jake Perlman drummer Austin Kalman lead guitarist/singer Mikey Sellman bass
Their album No Generation grapples with the problem of a fragmented society. Their shows call up adjectives like “furious” and “full frontal assault.” The Onion linked their music to “a tab of LSD chased with Southern Comfort.” Now, kindly erase all of that from your mind, and imagine two really sweet guys playing on the Today Show with a choir comprised of third, fourth and ﬁ fth graders, alongside a beaming Al Roker. All facts apply to the anarchists-with-hearts-of-gold, Lions. “Since the 1960s, every generation has kind of had its own cultural thing — we were kids in the 1990s with grunge, 1980s kids had their Devo. A formative experience when they are younger in life,” says Lions lead guitarist Austin Kalman. “Now that everything’s so fragmented, because of the Internet and everything else, that doesn’t really happen anymore. So that’s where the title for No Generation came from. We’re not saying we have a solution for it, but some of our angrier riffs come out of that. We live very segmented lives now, and I guess the way we feel about that comes out in our music.” Lions have channeled those feelings in various interesting ways, taking a circuitous route to musical success. At age 19, Kalman decided to become a musician, bought a guitar and taught himself how to play it. He and Lions’ drummer Jake Perlman met playing with The Palms School Choir, a group made up of school kids and music pros (hence the aforementioned Today Show gig). Soon after, in July 2005, the Lions’ lineup was formed, and they wrote and recorded their ﬁ rst album in less than three weeks. Today, one of their songs has been featured on the Showtime series “Californication,” and High Times Magazine gave Lions a Doobie Award for “Best Local Austin Band” in 2008.
INFLUENCES: Think Kurt
Cobain rocking out with The Runaways
CURRENT CD: No Generation Available online at
iTunes. At press time, the band started recording a massive full-length album in January 2009.
myspace.com/lionstheband
lionstheband.com
WHAT TO EXPECT AT A TYPICAL SHOW? “To leave half-deaf
and disoriented,” says Lions’ vocalist/guitarist Matt Drenik.
MOST RECENTLY TOURED WITH? The Toadies FUN FACT: Their song “Metal Heavy Lady” is on Guitar Hero III.
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William K. Stidham / The Sacred Heart of Ray Benson / 22" x 30," Watercolor
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Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan
Shoot Location: Trailer in Driftwood, TX
myspace.com/bopenglish
They won “Best New Band” at the 2008 Austin Music Awards, they played 11 shows at SXSW 2007, and already have two record labels – one for U.S. listeners, one for Europeans. At one point, they performed under pseudonyms, their bassist taped his glasses together, and their band bio appears to be written in 17th century English: “The sirs before mentioned in these modern times are near to themselves and becoming daily in their times at the ‘free wheel’ of disposure. At the brink of it all is the concretality of a format being contributable to outcomings. If not to simplify too; so, I retrace in my unstated, potentially radical view, of the eventual occasion to this at present one may encounter upon; whether enduring or adoring, but presently existing continually.” ...Well, ok then. Meet the quirky, hip-swiveling, hard-working indie kids, White Denim. After an encounter at Beerland in March 2005, bassist Steve Terebecki, then playing with Peach Train, joined forces with Petralli, Josh Block and Lucas Anderson of Parque Touch. Lucas skipped off to Russia, and the remaining three reincarnated themselves as White Denim. “We passed our demos onto booking agents until we got asked to play a gig,” says White Denim’s James Petralli. That was 2006. Their ensuing gigs around Dallas and Austin led to enthused whispers on Gorilla Vs. Bear and other music blogs, and the band released their ﬁ rst EP in 2007 titled Let’s Talk About It. Talk we did: White Denim was one of the buzziest bands coming out of SXSW 2007, and today, they’ve played at ACL and CMJ Music Marathon.
whitedenimmusic.com
GENRE: Garage Punk/Blues Rock INFLUENCES: They’ve been dubbed "Steely Dan of
the Digital Age," compared to The White Stripes and reprimanded for stealing beers out of the hands of fans in the front row when they were still noise-rock group Parque Touch.
CURRENT CD: Explosion
Available online at whitedenimmusic.com and transmissionentertainment.com.
MEMBERS:
James Petralli vocals/guitar Joshua Block drums Steve Terebecki vocals/bass
FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? “Food walkability.” WHERE DO YOU RECORD? “In a 1940’s Spar tan trailer in
Driftwood, Texas.”
FUN FACT: Lead vocalist James Petralli is the son of former
Major League Baseball catcher, Geno Petralli.
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The Music Gym is actually not the place to sculpt your abs while taking in your favorite tunes. It’s one of Austin’s newest rehearsal and performance venues on East 6th St. And it’s the second location for owners Ryan McVinney and Robert Edward, who years ago saw the need for an affordable, laid-back and professional facility for musicians. “I dreamt of a chain of musician-run music communities and venues while working for an hourly rehearsal studio in Manhattan,” says McVinney. “I collaborated with Robert back in Boston where we conver ted the basement of an old factory into a digital recording studio with multiple rehearsal rooms and a lounge.” In 2001, the Boston location of the Music Gym was born. And as the location boomed, the duo also started their record label, Get Nice Records. They signed several of their Music Gym regulars and released four fulllength albums.
eight hours of rehearsal time per week, with slots available 24 hours a day, every day. But perhaps the most tempting part of the package for bands? The chance to perform in The Music Gym’s monthly showcase. This show give up-and-comers, as well as more seasoned bands, a chance to hit the indoor or outdoor stage and give friends and fans a free show. It’s no surprise The Music Gym already has fans of its own. Everyone from musicians to music lovers have come out in force, making this spot a popular gathering place for fundraisers, parties (including The Texas Roller Girls soiree) and even the 2008 SXSW after-party. Hit ting the g y m now has a whole new meaning. Check out this east-side ﬁnd to lounge, play, listen or enjoy everything from beer to spirits to the all-vegetarian and vegan menu. Just be sure to leave the spandex and sweatbands at home. Kathy Farley Photos by Ed Verosky The Music Gym 815 East 6th St. 512-939-2524 musicgym.com myspace: austinmusicgym
So, why the jump from Boston to Austin? McVinney found himself in the Live Music Capital of the World while touring with his band, The Second Hand. He realized the potential for another Music Gym location and began the search for studio space. “The band and I were living in the Pecan Grove RV Park and I invited Rob to come down and check out the 6th Street location. We convinced the previous owner to sell to us instead of selling the space to Starbucks,” laughs McVinney. With four rehearsal rooms stocked with amps, microphones, drum kits, PA systems and Pro Tools, musicians can rehearse, relax and even record their sessions. It’s also affordable. A $200 monthly fee gets a band
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Writer: er Darcie Duttweil Photographer: s Jennifer Nichol
Shoot Location: ky Lounge Alley behind Luc
tyle GENRE: American-S Brit Rock pplin, INFLUENCES: Led Ze d, Queens Muse, Radiohea e, of the Stone Ag oyd Pink Fl
MEMBERS:
Doug Wilson guitar Bradley Oliver bass Lang Freeman guitar Sonny Sanchez drums
Sounds Under Radio were plucked from obscurity when their single “Portrait of a Summer Thief” serendipitously fell into “Spider-Man 3” director, Sam Raimi’s hands. He placed the song on the movie’s soundtrack, and the band was then signed by Epic Records. What would have been placed into the “and the rest they say is history” category when an indie band is signed by a major label, turned sour when the record company was wishy washy about when the band’s album would be released. The group and the company parted ways af ter less than a year, and the band’s debut album, Cinematica, came out last fall. “We learned that we can do this all on our own with the right tools and people,” says lead singer Lang Freeman. “There’s a lot of room for indie musicians to spread their music without the corporate foundation.” Bassist Bradely Oliver agrees: “Epic just gave us a better relationship with our lawyer.” As for the much fought about record, Freeman says it was incredibly personal to write. “The album is about relationships, both good and bad, and all the things that evolve the human condition. It was a creative piece for me as a personal catharsis, but I wanted to make the words accessible to others.”
CURRENT CD: Cine
Available at s Waterloo Record
myspace.com/soun
matica
dsunderradio
soundsunderradio
.com
YOUR FAVORITE VENUE IN AUSTIN? “Stubb’s,” Freeman says. “Their indoor stage is our home away from home. People go to Stubb’s to be a part of the show. Plus they have great barbeque.” “Just not right before a show!” chimes Oliver. YOUR BEST BAND MEMORY? “We played at the Mercury
Lounge in New York City after ‘Spider-Man 3’ came out, and there were a lot of people singing along to the music. We hadn’t even ofﬁ cially released anything yet!” Oliver says. “It was a cool thing to be reaching people we didn’t know in a different city,” Freeman adds.
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “Before Lang became a rock ‘n’ roller, he was a high school baseball star for the South Lake Herald Dragons. He got injured and hates sports now,” Oliver says. “Because I found rock ‘n’ roll instead!” laughs Freeman.
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William K. Stidham / The Sacred Heart of Casey McPherson / 22" x 30," Watercolor
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GENRE: 1980s Rock INFLUENCES: Guns N' Roses,
Bon Jovi, Journey, Def Leppard, Poison, 0zzy 0sbourne...you get the idea.
MEMBERS:
Matt Bray lead vocals/keys Chris Max vocals/guitar Paul Cano vocals/bass Randy Erwin drums
Screaming vocals: check. Blowing hair: check. Tight-ﬁtting leather: double check. Seven years ago, 4 friends in a variety band decided to try an experiment. Instead of playing a few 1980s songs at the end of their set, why not launch a full-on, 100% indulgent 1980s hair band? “We saw that our 1980s songs were really working with audiences, so we quickly evolved,” says lead vocalist Matt Bray. Now, thanks to smoke machines, studded belts and plenty of glam posturing, “our shows are reminiscent of 1980s music videos,” he says. “We’re now known as Austin’s most popular 1980s rock/hair band.” With Bret Michaels on reality TV and the release of a 15 - years - in - the - making Guns N’ Roses album last November, 1980s rock appears to be having a renaissance. And amidst a cold world of hipster irony, who wouldn’t want to revisit a time when men proudly swished long hair, cried earnestly into microphones and enjoyed 20-minute guitar solos? Fans love LC Rocks for the nostalgia factor, and it shows. But it’s the audience participation that makes this group truly unique. “People just seem to let go at our shows...and we love it,” says Bray. Expect to see several “groupies” hop on stage during LC Rocks concerts, usually at the prompting of Bray and his fellow band members.
CURRENT CD: None yet, but trust us, it’s the
live show you want anyway. Find the band rocking their favorite venues, Cedar Street and Speakeasy. If you happen to be booking a private event — say, a wedding — LC Rocks does that too. myspace.com/lcrocksmyspace lcrocks.com
Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan
Shoot Location: Parking Lot, 3rd St. and Colorado Blvd.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN: The people. “We love
to watch how the audience here in town reacts to our songs, with ﬁsts in the air,” says Bray. “Sometimes people crowd surf or stage dive.”
FAVORITE VENUE IN AUSTIN? Austin Music Hall or Stubb’s FAVORITE POWER BALLAD? “I Remember You” by
Skid Row
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For some, ﬂoating down the Guadalupe is an annual tradition. After all, it’s one of the easiest ways to do absolutely nothing and cool down when the temperatures star t to rise. But after your tubing trip, Will Korioth invites you to take part in another Austin tradition: some live music. And it’s just steps away from the riverbank at the Whitewater Amphitheatre. “Everyone from Cross Canadian Ragweed to Ghostland Observatory to Robert Earl Keen and Pat Green have played here,” says Korioth. Over the past five years, Korioth and his partner, Daryl Burttschell, have created an
Whitewater’s Saturday night shows on the river have quickly become a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. And with a great lineup of performers planned for the 2009 season, including Willie Nelson, Jack Ingram and the Eli Young Band, the crowds and the bands are sure to keep coming. “The musicians love hanging out in the green room off of the stage. It has a patio that faces the river so they can see everyone ﬂ oating by,” says Korioth. “And at night, we light up the Amphitheatre with tiki torches, which reflect off of the water. It creates a great ambience for shows and just to have a beer and kick back.”
oasis on the Guadalupe that includes the Whitewater Sports Campground, tube rental, an 18 - cabin resort called Hideout on the Horseshoe and the two -acre Whitewater Amphitheatre. For those looking for a laidback and nearby getaway, these properties are an oasis indeed. Whitewater Amphitheatre 11860 FM 306 830-964-3800 whitewaterrocks.com “About ﬁ ve years ago, we started with a few cabins on the Guadalupe River. We posted an ad and booked them all in eight minutes,” recalls Korioth. “So, we continued to expand. And in 2007, that included the amphitheater, which can accommodate 4,000 people and includes 411 VIP seats and nine skyboxes.”
It’s all part of the Whitewater experience, which typically lasts from around Memorial Day to Labor Day each year. But in 2009, Korioth plans for an additional music series at the Whitewater Amphitheatre’s beer garden, which has a capacity of up to 2,000 fans. Lasting for 16 weeks, the series begins on April 16th. Tubing is just the beginning at this New Braunfels hot spot. So be sure to plan your getaway before the summer rush. Kathy Farley Photo (Crowd) by Pixel Peach Photo (River) by Victor Yiu 65
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Lady Legacy got hooked on music in the sixth grade when she learned to play the recorder in school, and she’s been hooked ever since. It wasn’t until she enrolled in St. Edward’s University for a music management degree that she discovered she could perform live and make a living at it. “I did what I did onstage, and no one left,” she shrugs. “I ﬁgured they must have liked it.”
GENRE: Rap INFLUENCES: Janet Jackson’s
"Pleasure Principle," Teena Marie, Salt ‘N’ Pepa
CURRENT CD: Out There Bad
Available online at 1205productions.com
Legacy left behind her recorder days and took on Austin as its self-declared “premier female rapper.” Legacy even formed her own production company, 1205 Productions, where she markets and produces herself and other artists. But living in a man’s world isn’t always so easy for the tenacious rapper. “You just have to deal with it,” she sighs. “But, I’m a business woman. Men treat you like you’re their baby mama instead of an individual. They get really intimidated when a female starts talking business.” Legacy not only knows the business of hip-hop, but she also sees its potential for shaping potentially troubled teens. She started a program called Positivity for Purpose, which uses hip-hop to educate kids. “I help young people learn what their talents are and then prosper. I want to put them in the right direction,” Legacy says. As for her music, Lady Legacy writes songs that everyone can relate to, even ones called “Kill a Muthaf**ka,” but she is inspired ultimately by her own life. “My whole culture is hip-hop,” she says. “I live the lifestyle, and it’s a form of expression much like poetry.”
myspace.com/theladylegacy
1205productions.com
Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photographer: Jennifer Nichols Shoot Location: MLK Car Wash
FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? “We have an amazing sky.
People can talk about our tree huggers if they want, but for the beautiful sky, I’ll slap the p*ss out of anyone putting their hands on an ofﬁ cial Austin tree hugger.”
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “I’m a practicing
messianic Jew. I can read and write Hebrew block letters.”
WHAT CD ARE YOU LISTENING TO NOW? "A homemade disc
of UGK classics. R.I.P., Pimp C!"
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Musicmakers 517 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-444-6686 musicmakersaustin.com
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David Baldry and Allen Kirsh
“We specialize in providing the best possible customer service, along with an incredible selection, at low prices,” explains co-owner Allen Kirsh. “Whether you need a guitar, harmonica, keyboard or an entire sound system completely installed, we can help!” In addition to offering several products, repair service, rentals and commercial sound installations (that the national stores don’t have), Musicmakers has managed to maintain a quality that Austin customers want and have come to expect — a more personal experience. “We rent this equipment out to many of the concerts, clubs and theme parks all around Texas,” says Kirsh. “We also have a repair and service area for guitars, amps, keyboards and sound systems.” As part of the main store, Musicmaker Rentals also has one of the largest rental inventories in the Southwest with top of the line drum kits, hard to ﬁnd keyboards and professional bass as well as guitar amps. No matter what your rental needs, the professional team at Musicmakers works with customers to make events look and sound exceptional, as well as make sure costs stay well within a budget. When visiting Musicmakers, no trip is complete without a visit to the PA department. Along with accessories, the department contains a complete lighting showroom and DJ section.
“Our showroom has over 160 rack spaces containing the latest professional equipment, which is always hooked up and ready for listening pleasure. Musicmakers’ trained professional audio consultants are always happy to help solve music needs,” says Kirsh. In addition to having a retail store, Musicmakers also has a large installation department. Led by Chris Beall, Musicmakers’ professional audio designer and consultant, the installation department has installed custom sound and light systems in hundreds of churches, schools, restaurants, nightclubs and homes. As mentioned, Musicmakers recently expanded out its sales and service departments with a daily department for rentals such as amps, keyboard, drums, sound systems and wireless microphone systems, which includes one of the largest professional backline rental departments. “With clear cut goals and good old fashioned customer service that caters to the musician’s every need, we still prove more than ever to be a strong link between musicians and the tools of the trade,” says Kirsh. “Musicmakers Austin has no intention of slowing down and will continue to be around for generations to come.” Lindsey Krauss Photo by Ed Verosky
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Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photog rapher: Jennifer Nichol s
Shoot Location: 6th St. and Brazos St.
GENRE: Indie Rock with
Punk Influences
MEMBERS:
Eric Larson bass Lauren Larson vocals/guitar Jeff Barrera drums
INFLUENCES: Descendants,
Fugazi, The Runaways, Minor Thread
Ume got its name from a Japanese plum blossom. While bassist Eric Larson says that ume “sounded cool and had cool imagery,” his wife and singer/guitarist Lauren, puts it ever so succinctly: “It’s this delicate, dainty little ﬂower, which totally contrasts with the music. And people don’t really associate us with our music.” With two scruffy and almost bookish-looking dudes and Lauren, a diminutive, incredibly polite and soft- but wellspoken blonde, they pretty much look night and day from their music, which consists of the two men rocking out while Lauren growls into the mic. “When people see us, they think we’re something really different, but we have an explosive live show and intense music,” Lauren says. She picked up her brother’s guitar at the age of 12 and learned a Nirvana song in one night. “I thought it was pretty easy, and I got hooked,” she says. At 14, Lauren started a punk band, and in high school, she and Eric started playing together. Their drummer, Jeff Barrera, joined later. Sunshower EP, the band’s latest record, was released earlier this year, and although the band has punk tendencies, the name of the EP isn’t being ironic. “While we maintain our intensity, we incorporated melodic elements too,” Lauren says. “Overall, it is very hopeful.”
CURRENT CD: Sunshower EP
Available at Waterloo Records
myspace.com/umemusic
umemusic.com
WHAT IS YOUR BEST BAND MEMORY? “Jeff caught a goat
on tour!” Lauren says. “We were at a gas station, and people were trying to catch this wayward goat. I had never even touched a goat before, and I just caught him,” Barrera says. “It was deﬁnitely the funniest band memory,” Lauren says.
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “Everyone is always surprised by looking at us and then watching us play,” Lauren says. “We don’t look rock ‘n’ roll, but we literally leave ourselves on the stage.” YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? "There are so
many people making things happen here," Lauren says. "It's such a dynamic, involved community."
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William K. Stidham / The Sacred Heart of Trish Murphy / 22" x 30," Watercolor
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No, Hollywood Gossip doesn’t have a love for all things Perez Hilton, but rather an affection for Charles Bukowski poetry. The band in its current — and ofﬁ cial — line-up has only been performing together since last March, but it has already made a name for itself, opening for bigger Austin bands, such as Voxtrot, and throwing an EP release shindig for You’re So Quiet in December. Singer Tyler Womack and guitarist Justin Crowell joined forces after being introduced by a mutual friend, and after spending numerous afternoons working on songs, the duo played a set at Womack’s 26th birthday party, where they successfully charmed Cory Ryan into joining the band. The ﬁrst two full band outings of Hollywood Gossip included a stand-in drummer. During one of those shows, the band mesmerized former Silver Scooter drummer Tom Hudson into being the group’s full-time stick man. Womack says for their EP, they were inspired by catchy melodies and tried to build songs around them. “As far as words are concerned, we try to tell good, coherent stories. Many of our best songs come from crushes, break-ups, surprises and failures. Lately, we’ve been trying to write more songs that capture the feeling of situations — parties, sexual tension, the Austin scene,” he says.
GENRE: Pop INFLUENCES: The Smiths,
the Decemberists, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Beulah, Smoking Popes
MEMBERS:
Tyler Womack vocals/guitar Justin Crowell lead guitar Cory Ryan bass Tom Hudson drums
CURRENT CD: You're So Quiet EP Pop
Available at Waterloo Records
myspace.com/hollywoodgossipband
Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photographer: Jennifer Nichols
Shoot Location: Ben White Carnival
YOUR FAVORITE VENUE IN AUSTIN? “Club DeVille.” YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? “Breakfast tacos. In particular, Maria's and Curra’s. Traveling out of town, you realize the huge gulf in breakfast taco production throughout the country. You wonder how so many people throughout the U.S. survive Sunday morning hangovers without them,” Womack says. SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “The band is named after a horse in a Bukowski poem called ‘A Day at the Oak Tree Meet,’ and it follows Bukowski through a day of betting. Hollywood Gossip is the last horse he bets on before he starts winning, which is to say it’s a losing horse. But at least it’s a sign of good things to come,” Womack says.
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From the moment you arrive, your eyes are overwhelmed with the picturesque Texas Hill Country view, while the Tuscan inspired architecture enraptures your soul and beckons you to the stylish home interiors. Then you discover the extraordinary resident privileges such as an exclusive Sky Lounge, Yoga Studio, Tranquil Pools with Wi-Fi Hot Spots, Wii Game Lounge, Culinary Presentation Kitchen with ongoing cooking classes, 24-Hr Fitness Studio… and you realize this is an exceptional life destination. Alexan Vistas… An Address With Altitude. Toll-free: 866.372.9738 | 512.794.8439 www.AlexanVistas.com AlexanVistas@NewHome1.com
VISTAS
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myspace.com/elizagilkyson
elizagilkyson.com
Eliza Gilkyson’s ﬁrst album came out 30 years ago, but as the daughter of legendary songwriter Terry Gilkyson — of the folk band The Easy Riders and the Academy Awardnominated “Jungle Book” song “Bare Necessities” — she knew that her life would revolve around music. “I got into it for all the wrong reasons, more as a survival tool than anything else, but it proved to serve me more than I dared to imagine,” Gilkyson says. At the age of 14, Gilkyson sang on some of her dad’s recordings, and this got her comfortable in a studio. During her long and esteemed career, Gilkyson has been recognized as one of Austin’s most political folk musicians, and she released one of her honest and political records with last year’s Beautiful World. The record, which sometimes feels morose with lyrics such as “down on the corner of ruin and grace/I’m growin’ weary of the human race/hold my lamp up in everyone’s face/lookin’ for an honest man” actually celebrates the beauty that shines amidst dark days of war and corruption. The troubadour, who sings of environmental issues and cuts down on her carbon footprint even when touring, says she’s most inspired by “[her] struggle to be a decent human being.” Gilkyson’s next project will be recording a collection of her father’s children’s songs.
GENRE: Socio/Political/Spiritual/Folk/
Americana/Rock
INFLUENCES: Terry Gilkyson (her dad),
Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cochburn
CURRENT CD: Beautiful World Available
at Waterloo Records
Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photographer: Jennifer Nichols Shoot Location: Gilkyson’s Front Yard
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “Hardly
anyone knows I lived in an old wooden boxcar alongside the Santa Fe railroad line when I was 18 years old. It was my ﬁ rst rental experience. It was primitive with a wood cook stove, and the rent was $15 a month.”
WHAT CD ARE YOU LISTENING TO NOW? “Tarik O’Regan’s Threshold of Night with Conspirare, Austin’s Grammynominated choir, and conducted by Craig Hella Johnson. There is some serious singing going on there.” YOUR BEST BAND MEMORY? "I have 40 years of incredible
moments in music. I can't say any one is the best."
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Writer: Tolly Moseley Photographer: Cory Ryan
Shoot Location: Gorilla at Lamar Blvd. and Hwy 183
“By the age of 16, the average American child has witnessed 18,000 murders on television.” “Experts predict computers will exceed human intelligence in 100 years.” “Some of these facts will change by the end of this video.” All snippets from The Black and White Years’ music video for “Power to Change,” a thoughtful critique of modern culture couched in a deceptively playful ska beat. But despite its cynicism, The Black and White Years’ story is the stuff indie band dreams are made of. “The Black and White Years has existed for about three years,” says Butler. “We started playing at any place that booked us, then found a great manager, then found a producer, then made a record.” That producer happened to be none other than Jerry Harrison, former keyboardist of Talking Heads, who saw them play at Opal Divine’s during SXSW 2007 to a crowd of about 15 people. After whisking them off to San Francisco’s Sausalito Sound, Harrison helped the band record their ﬁrst full-length album, which took ﬁve weeks to record, and a little over seven months to mix, rework and shape it into a sound that felt right. Bolstered by blog buzz and sterling reviews, The Black and White Years made their ACL debut in 2008. Today, armed with a Roland synthesizer, signature drum machine loops, and abundant mustaches, their catchy dance pop is winning fans from Austin, Texas to Cannes, France.
theblackandwhiteyears.com
myspace.com/ theblackandwhiteyears
GENRE: Dance Pop/Ska/
New Wave/Rock
MEMBERS:
Scott Butler vocals/ guitars/ keys/words Landon Thompson guitars/keys/vocals John Aldridge bass/brass Billy Potts drums
INFLUENCES: "Everything
from Stephen Sondheim to Kanye West," says frontman Scott Butler.
CURRENT CD:
The Black and White Years Available at Waterloo Records or online at iTunes and theblackandwhiteyears.com
WHERE DID YOUR BAND LIVE BEFORE AUSTIN? Nashville WHERE DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING? Pizza Parlors BIGGEST MISTAKE? “We went to Cannes, France to play the
MIDEM Festival, and all of us got so fabulously drunk on the first night that we spent the rest of our time there nursing misery,” laughs Butler, who had a show the next day. “Our show went well despite everything, and we learned a lesson about mixing Tsingtao, Johnny Walker and champagne. Now we drink in moderation, like the liquor commercials say to do.”
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William Stidham / The Sacred Heart of Alejandro Escovedo / 22" x 30," Watercolor
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Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photographer: Jennifer Nichols
Shoot Location: Knight Realty
myspace.com/thegourdstx
thegourds.com
Despite playing for more than 14 years and recording nine studio albums, the Gourds are probably best known for a song they did not write. Nearly 12 years after its live debut, fans can still be heard calling out for the band’s cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice,” often before they have even taken the stage. While The Gourds can’t be categorized by a Snoop cover, it does give some insight to their sense of redneck irony and love of music, including the ukulele. But it also demonstrates why the band gets some ﬂ ack from critics. “We are regarded by some to be too dense and reference laden to comprehend. But, they lack imagination. We are explorers of linguistic imagination. We are not journalists or bedtime story tellers. But there are characters and storylines in there. One might say we are ‘all over the map,’ for lack of a better expression. But, ‘the map is not the territory,’ eh?” says singer Kevin “Shinyribs” Russell. Their latest record, however, was built on the strength of a ballad, a type of song the Gourds aren’t typically known for. “I wasn’t really sure how all the ballads would sound with the band just because they aren’t really our style traditionally, but for some reason, I thought it would be cool just because we had never done any thing like it before, and now seemed like as good a time as any,” Russell says.
GENRE: "We have created
the genre of Country Art Rock and Soul or CARS," lead singer Kevin Russell says.
MEMBERS: Kevin
"Shinyribs" Russell vocals/mandolin/ guitar/harmonica Jimmy Smith vocals/ guitar/percussion, harmonica/bass Claude Bernard accordion/electric keyboard/vocals/ guitar/percussion Keith Langford drums/ harmonica/vocals Max Johnston vocals/ fiddle/lap steel mandolin/guitar/banjo
INFLUENCES: Burl Ives,
Neil Young, Bob Wills, Monty Python, Al Green, Muhammad Ali
CURRENT CD: Haymaker!
Available online at thegourds.com
SOMETHING THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE? “We
have all stopped smoking over the last few years,” Russell says. “We all are raising beautiful, happy children with adoring wives in wooden houses with indoor plumbing and color TV. We are a pure democracy.”
YOUR FAVORITE VENUE IN AUSTIN? "These days we rather enjoy playing Threadgill’s South Biergarten when the weather is good," Russell says. YOUR BEST BAND MEMORY? “Playing the River Roots
Festival to 10,000 people in Missoula, Montana. We played a club there in 1998 to absolutely no one. And over the years, we have built it into one of our best cities,” Russell says. 89
Chances are, even if you’re not a country music fan, you can sing the chorus to Kevin Fowler’s “Beer, Bait and Ammo” due to its catchy lyrics and abundance at karaoke joints.
myspace.com/kevinfowler
kevinfowler.com
GENRE: Honky Tonk,
Texas Country
CURRENT CD:
Bring it On Available at Best Buy or kevinfowler.com
INFLUENCES: "I grew up on
hair metal bands, so my MEMBERS: influences are everything Kevin Fowler vocals from Merle Haggard to Gary Herman bass Metallica. You gotta put guitar all your influences in your Tracy Martin re drums Ken Tond music soup, stir and see Arty Passes steel guitar come up with." what you Jason McBride fiddle
Writer: Darcie Duttweiler Photographer: Jennifer Nichols Rodeo Shoot Location: Next to Midnight
Fowler has been performing live for more than 20 years, but it was his mom who inadvertently pushed him into music when she signed him up for piano lessons. “At the time, I rebelled against it, but it came so naturally to me,” Fowler says. “I’ve played some instrument since I was nine years old. I started on the piano, but then I eventually moved onto something that would p*ss my parents off: the drums!” After attending the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, Fowler moved to Austin, where he learned he was maybe a little more country than rock ‘n’ roll. “I played in rock bands, but everyone kept saying the songs I was writing were country,” he says. It is his rock ‘n’ roll upbringing that puts Fowler in the new “outlaw sound of country music,” which he says is not restrained by the traditional rules of Nashville. Country, rock, whatever you call it, Fowler has people hooked with his tongue in cheek, redneck humor and larger than life performances.
YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUSTIN? “I love the hill
country, the lakes and the hunting and ﬁ shing. It’s what really sold me about Austin: the outdoors. It amazed me all the cool things you could do outdoors.”
YOUR FAVORITE VENUE IN AUSTIN? “Broken Spoke. I don’t
get to play there much anymore, but I love the Spoke.”
YOUR BEST BAND MEMORY? “My coolest memory was on
my record High on the Hog, and Willie Nelson came to record a duet. He was in the vocal booth, and it struck me that he was singing a song I wrote while driving down MoPac in my truck. I had to pinch myself!”
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SPOTLIGHTING AUSTIN'S NONPROFITS
Omar Dykes and Carolyn Schwarz | HAAM | healthallianceforaustinmusicians.org
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HAAM started nearly four years ago with a simple goal: Make health care affordable for all those rock ‘n’ rollers, crooners, singer-songwriters, classical virtuosos and other music makers that help make Austin the Live Music Capital of the World.
Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM)
Live music in Austin is big business, bringing a billion dollars into the local economy. H o w e v e r, t h e b u l k o f m u s i c i a n s f i n d themselves strapped for cash most of the time — a situation that, combined with a lack of health insurance, can lead many to avoid seeking healthcare. H A A M wor ks to r em e d y t his si tua tion, offering affordable, sliding scale healthcare to its nearly 1,000 clients, most of whom make less than $15,000 a year. The care availa ble, which ranges from dental appointments to cancer treatments, helps keep musicians working, and also enables them to seek care when necessary, even for ongoing or chronic conditions. “Most of our clients are younger than 35,” says Carolyn Schwarz, executive director. “And, they’re using services for prevention and care. We’re keeping people out of the emergency room.” Since its founding, HAAM has relied primarily on grants and donations, as well as fundraising efforts like HAAM Beneﬁ t Day (a city-wide event that aims not only to raise funds, but to educate the public through public performances) and the Corporate Battle of the Bands (a typical battle of the bands event that features bands whose members’ main career interests are more likely to be the boardroom than the stage). When HAAM ﬁrst launched, the client capacity was just 500, and those slots were donated in kind by the providers, which include the SIMS F ounda tion, t he S eton Fa mil y of Hospitals and St. David’s Community Health Foundation. HAAM has nearly doubled its capacity since its founding in 2005, and as the organization continues to grow and change, new services are being added. A recent customer satisfaction sur vey has pushed HAAM to pursue vision and hearing care, including custom-ﬁtted earplugs to help protect musicians’ hearing. “It’s the classical musicians who are actually the most at risk,” says Schwarz, “because the decibel levels are higher at classical shows.” For musicians interested in HAAM’s services, the barriers to entr y are low and ways of verifying income include letters from managers and similar forms of documentation designed to accommodate the freelance, piecemeal nature of many musicians’ income. And, for those who might want to support HAAM from the sidelines, the organization is always eager to take donations or volunteer work, especially for major events like HAAM Benefit Day and the Corporate Battle of the Bands. Carly Kocurek Photo by Caroline Mowry
A big thanks to our friends at Kerbey Lane Cafe for supporting local austin non-proﬁ ts. When you purchase Kerbey Lane Cafe gift cards in February 2009 through RareAustin.com, a portion of the proceeds will beneﬁ t this organization.
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SHOPPING
Lofty Dog
403 W. 2nd St. 512-476-5050
austinloftydog.com
Hem Jeans
908 W. 12th St. 512-478-5326
hemjeans.com
Underwear
916 W. 12th St. 512-478-1515
fetishaustin.com
Touch of Sass
500 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-478-7277
touchofsass.net
IF+D
208 Colorado St. 512-469-0870
ifdaustin.com
Sparks
1014 W. 6th St. 512-477-2757
sparksaustin.com
Kruger’s Diamond Jewelers
722 Congress Ave. 512-472-2485
mellowjohnnys.com
FOOD & DRINK
Mama Fu’s
100 Colorado St. 512-637-6774
mamafus.com
Delish
209 W. 3rd St. 512-539-7502
delish-cupcakes.com
219 West
219 W. 4th St. 512-474-2194
219west.com
Imperia
310 Colorado St. 512-472-6770
imperia-austin.com
Cuba Libre
409 Colorado St. 512-472-2822
cubalibreaustin.com
Speakeasy
412 Congress Ave. 512-476-8017
speakeasyaustin.com
J. Black’s
710 W. 6th St. 512-296-2101
jblacks.com
Melting Pot
305 E. 3rd St. 512-401-2424
meltingpot.com
Mean Eyed Cat
1621 W. 5th St. 512-472-6326
themeaneyedcat.com
Truluck’s
400 Colorado St. 512-482-9000
trulucks.com
Manuel’s
310 Congress Ave. 512-472-7555
manuels.com
Moonshine
303 Red River St. 512-236-9599
moonshinegrill.com
LIVING
Urbanspace Realtors
800 W. 5th St. 512-457-8884
urbanspacerealtors.com
Austin City Living
1145 W. 5th St. 512-206-0959
austincityliving.com
Red River Flats
901 Red River St. 866-988-7647
greystarredriverﬂats.com
Gables 5th Street Commons
1611 W. 5th St. 512-474-0900
gables.com/5thstreetcommons
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Milk + Honey Spa
204 Colorado St. 512-236-1115
milkandhoneyspa.com
Milk + Honey Salon
237 W. 3rd St. 512-236-1112
milkandhoneyspa.com
Alite Laser
1412 W. 6th St. 5112-328-1555
alitelaser.com
Joie de Vie
713 E. 6th St. 512-542-9220
joiedeviesalon.com
Avant Salon
318 Colorado St. 512-472-6357
avantsalon.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Studio 563
202 Colorado St. 866-251-0677
studio563.com
Paramount Theatre
713 Congress Ave. 512-472-5470
austintheatre.org
Ballet Austin
501 W. 3rd St. 512-476-2163
balletaustin.org
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TRIN ITY ES RED RIVE R
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SHOPPING
Tyler’s
2338 Guadalupe St. 512-478-5500
tylersaustin.com
Cream Vintage
2532 Guadalupe St. 512-474-8787
creamvintage.com
Forbidden Fruit
108 E. North Loop Blvd. 512-453-8090
forbiddenfruit.com
Montage Clothings
508 E. 53rd St. 512-944-7523
ecofashionmontage.com
Room Service Vintage
107 E. North Loop Blvd. 512-451-1057
roomservicevintage.com
Toy Joy
2900 Guadalupe St. 512-320-0090
toyjoy.com
Pangaea Trading Co.
2712 Guadalupe St. 512-472-3533
FOOD & DRINK
Cuatro’s
1004 W. 24th St. 512-243-6361
cuatrosaustin.com
Hyde Park Bar & Grill
4206 Duval St. 512-458-3186
hydeparkbarandgrill.com
Torchy’s Tacos
2801 Guadalupe St. 512-494-8226
torchystacos.com
Asti
408 E. 43rd St. 512-451-1218
astiaustin.com
Kerbey Lane Café
2606 Guadalupe St. 512-477-5717
kerbeylanecafe.com
Food Heads
616 W. 34th St. 512-420-8400
foodheads.com
Fino
2905 San Gabriel St. 512-474-3706
astiaustin.com
Epoch Coffeehouse
221 W. North Loop Blvd. 512-454-3762
epochcoffee.com
Salvation Pizza
624 W. 34th St. 512-535-0076
myspace: salvationpizza
Taco Shack
2825 Guadalupe St. 512-320-8889
tacoshack.com
Spider House
2908 Fruth St. 512-480-9562
spiderhousecafe.com
The Parlor
100 E. North Loop Blvd. 512-454-8965
myspace: theparlor
Judges’ Hill Restaurant
1900 Rio Grande 512-495-1800
mansionatjudgeshill.com
Dog & Duck Pub
406 W. 17th St. 512-479-0598
dogandduckpub.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Mint Salon
4023 Guadalupe St. 512-302-9990
LIVING
Perfection Tattoo
4205 Guadalupe St. 512-453-2089
perfectiontattoo.com
512 Realty
600 W. 28th St. 512-322-0512
512realty.com
Venue on Guadalupe
2815 Guadalupe St. 512-473-3706
venueonguadalupe.com
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RIO GRANDE
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29TH STRE
19 26 11
DEAN KEETON TON
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18 8 13 3
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24TH STREET
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
2 21
MLK, JR. AVE.
22
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34TH
17 14
10
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SHOPPING
Inviting Affairs
2105 Justin Ln. 512-331-2133
invitingaffairs.com
Soigne Boutique
4800 Burnet Rd. 512-300-2929
soigneaustin.com
Paper Place
4001 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-451-6531
paperplaceaustin.com
Blue Elephant
4001 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-371-3259
shopblueelephant.com
Santa Fe Optical
1601 W. 38th St. 512-451-1213
santafeoptical.com
Verbena Floral Design
1601 W. 38th St. 512-420-0720
verbena.com
Architects & Heroes
4700 W. Guadalupe St. 512-467-9393
shopheroes.com
Russell Korman
3806 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-451-9295
russellkormanjewelry.com
Precision Camera
3810 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-467-7676
precision-camera.com
Adelante
1206 W. 38th St. 512-452-5322
adelanteaustin.com
Atomic Cherry Boutique
5535 Burnet Rd. 512-258-2226
atomiccherryboutique.com
FOOD & DRINK
Blue Star Cafeteria
4800 Burnet Rd. 512-454-7827
bluestarcafeteria.com
Sampaio’s
4800 Burnet Rd. 512-469-9988
sampaiosrestaurant.com
Mama Fu’s
4615 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-637-6773
mamafus.com
Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina
1206 W. 38th St. 512-419-7482
santaritacantina.com
Teo
1206 W. 38th St. 512-451-9555
caffeteo.com
Austin Diner
5408 Burnet Rd. 512-467-9552
34th Street Café
1005 W. 34th St. 512-371-3400
34thstreetcafe.com
Taco Shack
4002 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-467-0833
tacoshack.com
Kerbey Lane Café
3704 Kerbey Ln. 512-451-1436
kerbeylanecafe.com
LIVING
Triangle Residences
4600 Guadalupe St. 512-450-1500
triangleaustin.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Art Pad
4520 Burnet Rd. 512-323-0802
theartpadstudio.com
Austin Guitar School
5501 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-442-2880
austinguitarschool.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Rae Cosmetics
1206 W. 38th St. 512-320-8732
raecosmetics.com
Urban Betty Salon
1206 W. 38th St. 512-371-7663
urbanbetty.com
Sirens Salon
4207 Medical Pkwy. 512-419-7789
sirens-salon.com
Bob Salon
1815 W. 35th St. 512-454-4262
ilovebobsalon.com
Birds Barbershop
6800 Burnet Rd. 512-454-1200
birdsbarbershop.com
Embellish Nails & Boutique
4615 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-452-7465
embellishnails.com
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SHOPPING
Deanfredrick
902 E. 5th St. 512-493-0943
deanfredrick.com
Solid Gold
1601 E. 5th St. 512-473-2730
solidgoldacademy.com
Tree House Gift Shop
4900 Mueller Blvd. 512-324-0147
dellchildrens.net/gift_shop
Domy Books
913 E. Cesar Chavez St. 512-476-3669
domystore.com
Big Red Sun
1102 E. Cesar Chavez St. 512-480-0688
bigredsun.com
Mode Apparel
1601 E. Cesar Chavez St. 512-436-8924
myspace: modeaustin
FOOD & DRINK
Blue Dahlia
1115 E. 11th St. 512-542-9542
bluedahliabistro.com
Primizie Osteria
1000 E. 11th St. 512-236-0088
primizieaustin.com
Uncorked
900 E. 7th St. 512-524-2809
uncorkedtastingroom.com
Juan in a Million
2300 E. Cesar Chavez St. 512-472-3872
juaninamillion.com
Progress Coffee
500 San Marcos St. 512-493-0963
progresscoffee.com
Rio Rita
1308 E. 6th St. 512-524-0384
riorita.net
Bossa Nova
2121 E. 6th St. 512-478-8700
bossanovaaustin.com
Stortini
1917 Manor Rd. 512-391-9500
stortini-austin.com
El Chile
1809 Manor Rd. 512-457-9900
elchilecafe.com
Vivo
2015 Manor Rd. 512-482-0300
vivo-austin.com
Hoover’s Cooking
2002 Manor Rd. 512-479-5006
hooverscooking.com
East Side Café
2113 Manor Rd. 512-476-5858
eastsidecafeaustin.com
Casa Columbia
1614 E. 7th St. 512-495-9425
casa-columbia.com
Longbranch Inn
1133 E. 11th St. 512-472-5591
eastinns.com
The Music Gym
815 East 6th St. 512-939-2524
musicgym.com
LIVING
Urbanspace Realtors
900 E. 6th St. 512-476-0010
urbanspacerealtors.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Urbanaxis Mortgage
900 E. 6th St. 512-473-2947
urbanaxismortgage.com
Method.hair
1601 E. 5th St. 512-469-0044
methodhair.com
Vain Salon
1803 Chicon St. 512-524-1057
vainaustin.com
The Ends on 6th
2608 E. 6th St. 512-663-8847
endson6th.com
Good Life Team
1114 E. Cesar Chavez St. 512-892-9473
goodlifeteam.com
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MANOR
R R RT R R R R R R R R R OR I P I AIR
RED RIVER
PL OOD EAS SEW AN RO T
NAVAS OTA
CON CHI
. K, JR T ML EAS
EAST 11TH
COMAL
CHICON
VA LL LE Y
EAST 7TH
EAST 6TH EAST 5TH
CESA R CH AVEZ
PED ERN ALES
103
SHOPPING
Moxie and the Compound
2110 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-441-6699
moxieandthecompound.com
Craft-O-Rama
3100 S. Congress Ave. 512-707-2405
austincraftorama.com
The Black Sheep
1115 S. Congress Ave. 512-914-4771
blacksheepaustin.com
Angelica de Biase
2900 S. Congress Ave. 512-366-3954
angelicadebiase.com
Beyond Unique
2900 S. Congress Ave. 512-709-5816
beyonduniqueaustin.com
Ornamental Things
2900 S. Congress Ave. 512-462-2544
ornamentalthings.com
Buy Deﬁnition
2900 S. Congress Ave. 512-670-7448
buydeﬁnition.com
Fanny’s Fabrics
1150 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-442-8255
Lowbrow Emporium
2708 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-462-3739
lowbrowemporium.com
Austin Handmade
507 W. Mary St. 512-383-9333
austinhandmade.com
Musicmakers
517 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-444-6686
musicmakersaustin.com
FOOD & DRINK
WineStyles
4301 William Cannon Dr. 512-892-9463
winestyles.net
Maudie’s Hacienda
9911 Brodie Ln. 512-280-8700
maudies.com
Maudie’s Too
1212 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-440-8088
maudies.com
Doc’s Motorworks
1123 S. Congress Ave. 512-448-9181
docsaustin.com
Doc’s Backyard
5207 Brodie Ln. 512-892-5200
docsaustin.com
Kerbey Lane Café
2700 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-445-4451
kerbeylanecafe.com
Cissi’s Market
1400 S. Congress Ave. 512-225-0521
cissismarket.com
South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery
1207 S. 1st St. 512-366-0537
torchystacos.com
Torchy’s Tacos
2809 S. 1st St. 512-444-0300
torchystacos.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Austin Art Garage
2200 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-585-6780
Mark Herron Photography
2214 Iva Ln. 469-223-6196
markherronphotography.com
LIVING
Akoya
2200 Dickson Dr. 512-799-3777
akoyaaustin.com
austinartgarage.com
Greystar South Congress
3809 S. Congress Ave. 866-414-5508
greystarsouthcongress.com
Irons Austin
2607 Stacy Ln. 512-589-5795
theironsaustin.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Kneadcraft
2900 S. Congress Ave. 512-592-9208
Frenchy’s Beauty Parlor
913 W. Mary St. 512-444-6000
frenchysbeautyparlor.com
Urban Groove Salon
4301 William Cannon Dr. 512-891-7070
Avant Salon
9600 S. IH-35 512-291-5000
avantsalon.com
104
kneadcraft.com
RIV
ERS
IDE
ELIZ
ABE
TH
MON
ROE
MILT ON ANN W ES T MA
SO UT A HL R MA
IE
RY
LIVE
OAK
OLTOR F
SOUTH FIFTH
SOUTH
FIRST
MANCH ACA
MOPA C / LO LO
OP 1
HWY 290
WI
LLI AM C
E AN NO 0 / 9 B HWY 2 N
N WH
ITE
SLA
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TER
BRO
DIE
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TH C ONG R
ESS
105
SHOPPING
Cupidz Clozet
3345 Bee Cave Rd. 512-328-6446
cupidzclozet.com
Tyler’s
701 S. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-327-9888
tylersaustin.com
Dolce Baby
701 S. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-306-8882
Santa Fe Optical
701 S. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-327-1913
santafeoptical.com
Goodwill
701 Newman Dr. 512-478-6711
austingoodwill.org
Hutson Clothing Company
3663 Bee Cave Rd. 512-732-0188
hutsonclothing.com
Tesori
6507 Jester Blvd. 512-346-8100
tesoriaustin.com
Fab’rik
12801 Hill Country Blvd. 512-263-1644
fabrikaustin.com
RunTex
2201 Lake Austin Blvd. 512-477-9464
runtex.com
Fetch
3636 Bee Cave Rd. 512-306-9466
yourdogwilldigit.com
The Hip Chick
3636 Bee Cave Rd. 512-330-1701
thehipchick.com
Valentine’s Too
3801 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-347-9488
Ven Shoe Salon
3801 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-306-8200
venshoesalon.com
FOOD & DRINK
Hang Town Grill
701 S. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-347-1039
hangtowngrill.com
Maudie’s Milagro
3801 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-306-8080
maudies.com
Thistle Café
3801 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-347-1000
thistlecafe.com
Maudie’s Café
2608 W. 7th St. 512-473-3740
maudies.com
Berryhill Baja Grill
3600 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-327-9033
berryhillbajagrill.com
Bistro 88
2712 Bee Cave Rd. 512-328-8888
bistro88austin.com
The Grove Wine Bar
6317 Bee Cave Rd. 512-327-8822
grovewinebar.com
Siena
6203 N. Capital of TX Hwy 512-349-7667
sienarestaurant.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Milk + Honey Spa
Hill Country Galleria 512-236-1116
milkandhoneyspa.com
Body Business
3801 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-306-0557
bodybusinessﬁtness.com
La Di Spa
3801 N. Capital of TX Hwy. 512-328-2288
ladispa.com
Peach Body Boutique
1107 Westlake Dr. 512-347-7546
peachaustin.com
Kinsei Mind & Body
2700 Bee Cave Rd. 512-327-1771
kinseimindbody.com
LIVING
Alexan Vistas
7000 FM 2222 512-794-8439
106
alexanvistas.com
WESTLAKE DR.
HW Y
BA
OF TE XA S
LC ON
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1
EXPOSITI PO ON
AC / MOP LOOP1
BLV
HW Y6
20
ENFIELD
EA
US TIN
D.
BAR TON
BE EC AV ER OA D
CRE EK
107
SHOPPING
Hewlett VW
IH-35 at Westinghouse 888-796-7722
hewlettvw.com
Lights Fantastic
7532 Burnet Rd. 512-452-9511
lightsfantastic.com
Junior League Resale Shop
6555 Burnet Rd. 512-459-4592
jlaustin.org
Austin Furniture Consignment
7511 Burnet Rd. 512-467-1700
austinfurniture.net
Personally Yours
5416 Parkcrest Dr. 512-454-7534
pyaustin.com
Bicycle Sport Shop
10947 Research Blvd. 512-345-7460
bicyclesportshop.com
Petticoat Fair
7739 Northcross Dr. 512-454-2900
petticoatfair.com
Zinger Hardware
2438 W. Anderson Ln. 512-533-9001
zingerhardware.com
Loft
The Domain 512-377-6857
lofthomedecor.com
Bettysport
The Domain 512-339-0011
bettysport.com
Luxe Apothetique
The Domain 512-346-8211
myspace: luxeapothetique
St. Thomas Boutique
The Domain 512-835-8300
stthomasboutique.com
FOOD & DRINK
The Steeping Room
The Domain 512-977-8337
thesteepingroom.com
Jaspers
The Domain 512-834-4111
kentrathbun.com
Cru
The Domain 512-339-9463
cruawinebar.com
Eddie V’s
9400 Arboretum Blvd. 512-342-2642
eddiev.com
Grape Vine Market
7936 Great Northern Blvd. 512-323-5900
grapevinemarket.com
WineStyles
115 Sundance Pkwy. 512-218-9463
winestyles.net
Truluck’s
10225 Research Blvd. 512-794-8300
trulucks.com
300 Austin
9504 N. IH-35 512-834-7733
3hundred.com
Maudie’s
10205 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-832-0900
maudies.com
Melting Pot
13343 Research Blvd. 512-401-2424
meltingpot.com
Manuel’s
10201 Jollyville Rd. 512-345-1042
manuels.com
Burger House
4211 Spicewood Springs Rd. 512-346-7200
burgerhouse.com
Kerbey Lane Café
13435 N. Hwy 183 512-258-7757
kerbeylanecafe.com
ART & ENTERTAINMENT
Dance Institute
6612 Sitio del Rio Blvd. 512-346-6612
danceinstitute.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Vanity Rocks
9801 Anderson Mill Rd. 512-258-0009
Aesthetica Hair & Skin
13359 N. Hwy. 183 512-336-2639
Avant Salon
9901 Capital of TX Hwy. 512-502-8268
avantsalon.com
108
vanityrocks.com
PARMER PARMER
BRAKER
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S ILL
EX AS
MESA
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183 / RESEARCH BLVD BLVD
1
BURNET
LO
S P I CE
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.
FAR FAR WEST
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AND / K OENIG
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109
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